Scavengers
by Bigpandabear
Summary: Who's this new female speedster? She just came out of nowhere, some how saved Wally, then disappeared as quickly as she appeared. There are two other highly skilled combatants with her as well. Why are these three so familiar? The Reach might have been defeated, but the Light will use the process of rebuilding the world to rise. Post-Endgame. Pairings inside. New Villains/Heroes
1. Chapter 1

Alrighty, since this is the beginning of my new (and actually thought through) story I want to mention a few things before this gets started...

1) I got a review already saying how there are a lot of Nightwing/OC stories. Now i understand where you're coming from, and the suggestion of having Superboy as the romance instead was a good one, BUT once you read the story you'll understand why that wouldn't work out. Superboy's personality just doesn't fit right with this particular OC. That being said, it doesn't mean he is getting left out. I really like the M'gann/Superboy pairing so I want to bring that back. Also Wally/Artemis will be in here too. That being said, the pairings are OC/Blue Beetle; OC/Batgirl (though that is something we are still playing with, so it _might _change); and OC/Nightwing. Yes there are three different OC's.

2) I am working with, i guess you can say, a Beta reader (I think that's what they are called, still not too familiar with the terminology on this site). Anyway, Beast (my Beta) has recently gotten promoted and is a bit busy with work as of late. It actually depends on how the week is, but that's not the point. What I'm try to say is that sometimes it will take him a bit to actually read/edit the chapters I send. **I want to make it clear that this fic** **will NOT be abandoned! **However, that means I can't promise that chapters will come out on regular/scheduled times. Part of that also is I want to make sure this fic is done right and flows well. Beast is practically an expert when it comes to DC Comics and is helping a lot with this fic to make sure it works. Sometimes some chapters will take longer to get right, so I just wanted to warn you now.

3) I am really excited to get this story rolling. I wanted to at least have 3-4 chapters out before posting it, but I did promise I'd post it sometime during these past few weeks. I've got 2 chapters all done, edited, and ready to go. Beast still needs to edit the 3rd chapter, so I'll make sure to keep bugging him to do it so I can post it this coming up week.

Now that I've go those out of the way, I really hope you enjoy this story. I'm working really hard on this, so please no flames. If you want to point something out, give suggestions (which I am open to), or give constructive criticism then I am more than open to it. Feel free to send my a review.

Special shout out and lots of thanks to Beast! He is a HUGE help with the development of this story and I really couldn't do this with out him.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

\- Panda

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or DC Comics. I only claim the story itself and my own characters.**

-xXXx-

**Chapter 1: Selfless**

**_Past (During Season 1, Episode 2)_**

The whole lab shook as the battle raged above them. Scientists were running, fleeing from the destruction of the lab. The Geno-Morphs were scrambling around as well, unsure what their orders were. The chaos had confused the alien-like clones, as they attempted to locate the escaped weapon and his would be rescuers. It was only a matter of time before the Justice League came for their young heroes. Each researcher working under Desmond was trying to flee before the heroes came so they wouldn't get caught.

Suddenly, the Geno-Morphs stopped, taking no command from their creators. A small mousey woman slipped into the burning room where the three intruders had been held. Most of the machines were ruined. The woman pushed her large glasses up her nose, set on retrieving any data she could salvage. If the weapon, the Superman clone, escaped there would need to be a backup plan. For years the woman had been Desmond's top assistant, and she had given up everything for this project. No, she wasn't going to leave without something to salvage. The Geno-Morphs were no longer under their control.

Carefully maneuvering around the fires, she reached the least damaged machine. That brat Robin had destroyed the blood pods, but hopefully didn't get the DNA samples they had taken before being placed in the pods. If nothing else, she could start from scratch. It would take longer without the pods, but at least there would be a chance.

The woman tucked some of her stray blond hair behind her ear as she rapidly typed. Three small tubes filled with blood ejected from the broken down machine. The woman sighed in relief, snatching up the samples and clipping them securely to her belt. Now she just needed to get out without being caught, and make it to one of the safe houses. There she could contact the higher ups of Cadmus and, with any luck, continue the research. 'Maybe' she mused, 'they'll fund my own projects.'

Another large boom rocked the bunker, a loud roar echoing down the elevator shaft. Desmond must have taken the serum. He was as good as dead to Cadmus now. The woman scoffed slightly to herself. He was a fool to go head on with the young heroes and risk more exposure. At least they'd have their hands full with Desmond allowing a perfect opportunity to escape.

The woman quickly headed down the hall, going the opposite direction of the others. She wasn't heading toward the elevators, which were most likely inoperable. Desmond had a secret escape route, which he could have used if he hadn't let his pride get in the way of his better judgment. The woman stumbled, using the wall for support. The battle up top seemed to be getting more intense.

"Eva, where you going?" The woman turned to see Rodney, another assistant who worked down in the labs. His chocolate brown eyes were wide with fear. The woman silently cursed at him. If he knew about the alternate escape route then he would want to join. No, he couldn't be allowed to know. It would only slow her down.

"I-I need to get my research notes." The woman stuttered trying to find a viable excuse. Rodney looked at her with a confused expression.

"Eva, this place is going down. The League will be here any moment. It's best if you leave now." He said glancing toward the hall to the elevators.

"NO! This is my life's work. I'm not leaving without it. You go, I-I'll catch up soon." The mousy woman, Eva, pushed her glasses up her soot covered face. Rodney hesitated, causing the woman to hold her breath. Time was running out.

"Alright, just hurry up. I'll wait as long as I can for you." Rodney sighed. With one last glance, he made his way down the hall. Eva sighed in relief before scurrying down the hall in the opposite direction.

In a matter of minutes the woman had made her way to Desmond's private office. She scrambled for the emergency button behind the wall compartment. Another shockwave shook the lab causing Eva to stagger. Another wall opened, revealing a small escape pod. She was about to climb in when she glanced at her bosses computer. With a small huff, she pulled out her own little flash drive, containing most of her own research, and plugged it into the machine. It felt like it took forever to hack in, but the small woman wasn't going to leave anything useful behind. She tapped her broken fingernail on the desk as the data downloaded. As soon as it finished, she yanked the drive out and made her way to the pod. If she remembered correctly she'd come out at an abandoned warehouse a few blocks down. The heroes might have hindered Cadmus today, but with all the things she managed to collect it wouldn't be long until they were up and running again. However, this time she would be running the show.

\- _line break_ -

**_Present (Season 2, Episode 20) _**

A blur of red and grey raced over the ocean. No creature on Earth could move so fast that it was able to walk on the water. No creature that is, except for a speedster. However, this blur wasn't Flash, Kid Flash, or Impulse. Those three were currently in the Arctic saving the world from destruction. This was someone else, someone who matched the speed of the fasted man alive.

Finally reaching solid ground, the figure stopped, revealing the runner to be young girl no older than eighteen. She wore a whole body suit, much like the speedster heroes did, except hers looked more mechanical. Her face was covered with a dark grey and black mechanical like mask. On either side of her head was a dark red lightning bolt, similar to the hero speedsters she so dearly looked up too. Her suit was a slightly darker grey with dark red lightning bolt patterns on her forearm. The insignia on her chest showed a large Q with the tail of the letter being the bottom of a jagged shaped S resembling a lightning bolt. This, too, was a dark red. Her fiery red hair was tied up in a ponytail, the top of her head uncovered by the mask. The girl placed a finger on the side of the mask, close to her ear.

"Okay, Vul. I'm here." She said, mask muffling her voice slightly. "You sure you're going to be alright? The Handler isn't going to go easy on you."

"I'll be fine." Came the reply. "Just get that to the League and we might just make it out. Now, with all the commotion going on around the Earth, most heroes will be busy with clean up and rescue. I've found a trace on some heroes, and they should be nearby."

"Yeah, but where? Even I'll have some difficulty searching the whole polar ice cap." The girl huffed. Suddenly a large boom sounded in the distance. The mystery girl looked over to see a huge tornado-like cloud off in the distance. An alien ship was flying toward it. "Never mind." The girl sighed. "I think I found them. Talk to you in a sec."

The girl closed the communications, and then sped toward the commotion. When she arrived, she hid behind a large ice formation, certain they couldn't see her. The sight that greeted her eyes shocked her. There were her idols, all three of them racing opposite of the tornados current. They must be trying to cancel it out. The fan girl inside caused the girl to stand there and gawk, lost in the moment.

The three speedsters ran with all their might, but Kid Flash wasn't as fast as the other two. Gasping, she watched as energy from the massive tornado hit the young hero. He was starting to fade. The girl knew what was happening; the energy hitting Kid was causing his molecules to shift in an unstable way. If he stayed in the vortex, its energy discharges would soon cause his molecules to disperse entirely. She could see his mouth moving.

Then he was gone. As the vortex disappeared entirely, the remaining speedsters stopped. The ship she saw earlier landed near them. Several heroes whom she was familiar with disembarked, and hurried to where Flash and Impulse were panting. She could see the lips of the archer hero Artemis move to form words. "Wait!" she yelled, "Where's Wally?"

"Artemis," Flash began, "he wanted me to tell you…"

"No…. No." Artemis cried.

"He loved you." Flash finished. She fell to her knees sobbing, as Miss Martian kneeled to hold her.

Only Kid Flash wasn't entirely gone. The speedster in hiding could still see him, however he was fading fast. The other speedsters probably would have been able to see him too if they weren't so drained. The red head glanced down at the injection gun hooked to her belt. The drug loaded into the contraption was her, and her families, ticket to freedom. They had been forced for so long to do Cadmus' dirty work. With this handed over to the League, maybe her and the others could live normal lives. But, at the same time this could be the only thing to save Kid Flash from disappearing. Without hesitation, the girl raced out to meet the heroes.

When she stopped in front of them, everyone blinked in surprise. No one had seen this girl before and both speedsters noticed right away she was like them.

"Who are you?" Nightwing demanded, tensing in case there was going to be a fight. The girl held up her hands to show she meant no harm. She glanced nervously at the still fading Kid Flash. He looked like he was frozen, body held in mid run.

"Hold your horse's cowboy, I'm here to help." The girl swallowed nervously. "Kid Flash isn't gone, yet. The energy that was hitting him made his already fast moving molecules unstable and he'll keep moving faster and faster until he's gone completely." The darkly dressed girl pulled out her injection gun. "Now, it just so happens I have something to help stabilize him. I'm going to vibrate to his frequency then inject him. He'll start to stabilize and slow down to our pace, but I gotta act fast."

"Then hurry and do it." Came the hoarse voice of Artemis. She wiped away her tears, hope shinning in her eyes. The girl looked at her for a moment, nodded, then raced over to where Kid was stuck. Praying she too wouldn't get stuck, the girl sucked in a breath and began to vibrate as quickly as she could. In a few seconds the eight heroes lost sight of her. Everyone was silent, each holding their breath. It felt like ages passed by as they all stared at the spot where the mystery girl once stood. Suddenly there was a blur of yellow, and Kid Flash collapsed on the ice. He was breathing heavily, emerald green eyes wide with shock. His body was still vibrating, but soon that subsided. Artemis ran over to the yellow speedster and practically tackled him.

"Hey, be careful. Vibrating like that tends to do a number on your body." The young hero tried to joke. Everyone smiled in relief that their friend was back safely. The archer girl punched him lightly in the arm, tears of happiness threatening to spill.

"Don't you EVER go and do something stupid like that again!" She practically yelled, then dropped her head into his chest adding in a whisper, "I don't think I can handle loosing you."

The mystery girl began to decelerate. Her shoulders sagged and breath came out in quick, yet labored breaths. She looked exhausted and in pain. Flash walked over to her, ready to help support her if need be. His forehead was knitted with worry. He knew it was to save his nephew, but to vibrate yourself that fast would be dangerous no matter how fast you could run.

"Thank you. Without your help I don't think we would've ever seen him again. I owe you, big time." The scarlet speedster said. The girl waved her hand as if to say it was no big deal. She was still too winded to talk.

"We all owe you." Aqualad said, stepping forward. The girl paused, looking closely at the dark skinned Atlantean, though it was hard to tell through the dark red glass that covered the eyes on her mask. She glanced over at Nightwing, who still looked wary.

"No, the pleasure is all mine." She said. "I'm just glad I was able to save one of the speedsters! You guys are great, cleaning up Central City with lightning fast speed and helping keep galactic peace. Oh man, Iwishicouldbelikeyouguysrushingintosavepeopleandstopthebadguys. Ah, now I'm blabbing. Man, first time meeting my idols and I act like a complete air head."

Flash smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. It reminded him so much of Wally when he first became Kid Flash. Despite her dark appearance, this girl seemed to be a bundle of energy. So much that she started vibrating again.

"This is so crash!" Impulse beamed looking at the girl. "I had no idea there was another speedster!"

"What's your name, kid?" Flash asked, hoping to learn more about her.

"An- Quick Step." The girl coughed almost giving out her name. Like it mattered much. Still, she liked to pretend she had a secret identity, just like the heroes. Looking at her hand, she noticed that the suit wasn't helping as much as she hoped it would. Cursing to herself, she looked back up at the hero she admired. Quick Step would have given anything to spend more time talking, but she could feel herself starting to fade. She pressed a few buttons on the forearm of her suit and a liquid began moving down the small tubes on her suit. Her vibrating subsided slightly, but it wouldn't last long. She needed to get back home to the base.

"Listen, I would love nothing more than to chat with you some more, but you might want to look at Kid. I gave him a stabilizer, but I'm not sure what that weird energy thing was that was hitting him. Might want to check him out to see if he's all good." Quick Step said as she began to walk off.

"Wait, we are you going?" Superboy asked, his famous scowl plastered to his face.

"I do want to ask you more questions." Flash added taking a step toward the mystery girl. Quick Step held up her hand in a wave. Barry imagined she had a grin behind her mask.

"Would love to tell ya more, but I can't." She said with a hint of sadness in her muffled tone. "I would say 'hope to see you soon,' but something tells me when next we meet, it won't be on pleasant terms. Tootals!" In an instant Quick Step was racing away leaving the group of heroes speechless.

"We going after her?" Bart asked coming up next to Barry. Starring after the girl, the older hero shook his head heavily.

"I don't think we could catch her in our condition. Wally needs medical attention and we both need some food." The scarlet speedster paused for a moment. "I'll have Bats see what he can dig up. Something tells me she's involved in something bad and I don't think a girl like her belongs in the shadows."

_\- line break -_

Running back with only a few tiny doses of stabilizer to keep her molecules from going haywire was painful as well as scary. Quick Step had a few close calls in the past, but this was like walking on thin ice while the sun is out. Every step could break the fragile surface, and she was standing in the middle of the lake. It took her ten minutes to get back to the base, her home. It could have taken less time, but Quick Step was being careful not to go too fast. She hadn't had her injection for this week, using the substance to save Kid Flash instead.

Quick Step walked in, stumbling into a cabinet. She had begun to vibrate again, the suit running out of the temporary stabilizer. She quickly removed her metal mask revealing her face. Those emerald green eyes of hers were lined with fear. Faint traces of freckles dotted her pale cheeks.

"Ann! What happen?"

It was the same person she had talked to over the com-link. An older male with raven colored hair hurried over to support the ill speedster. He was in his costume, probably ready to leave this place once Quick Step had delivered the drug. He wore a dark brown domino mask that reach down the length of his nose, the tip of it hanging barely over the end of his nose. The light combat armor he wore was a dark brown with black details, darker brown feathers covered his shoulders slightly. A black silhouette vulture head stood out boldly on his chest. He didn't seem too much older than Quick Step, looking roughly 21.

"I-I'm sorry." The red haired girl sighed. "I didn't get it to the League. Kid Flash was in danger and I used it to help him." She held back a sob, hoping that the older male wouldn't hate her. "H-he was going to fade away and I couldn't let that happen. I'm sorry I couldn't free us. I'm so sorry Dominic."

Seeing the tired girl's distress, the raven haired man wrapped her in his strong arms. Disappointment and despair made his stomach roll, yet he wasn't mad at the girl. Dominic cherished her like a younger sister. It was in her nature to help others before herself and that was one of the things he loved about her. Still, even this was too close of a call for Dominic's comfort. The Handler would know that they tried to escape and he wouldn't just forgive them.

"It's alright Annie. We'll just try something else then. For now, let's see if we can't get you something to help you feel better." Dominic sighed helping the girl to her feet. He glanced over at the other person he considered a precious part of his family.

In the doorway stood a tall, dark skinned Atlantean girl. She looked maybe a year younger than Dominic. Her long bleach blonde hair was tied up in a side braid. Beautiful black tattoos spiraled down her arms. She wore Atlantean armor, the top piece being a dark blue while from the waist down was all black. Light armor covered her shins, forearms, and shoulders. Her feet were bare, like always. The suit did slightly cover them, leaving only her toes and heels uncovered. On her left hand was a thin, mechanized glove that enabled her to electrocute others. She had a round Atlantean water pack attached to her lower back, as well as a water bearer staff attached to it. Dark blue eyes stared right into Dominic as he helped Annie through to the next room.

"Keal'a, help me bring her into the med bay. I'll go speak to the Handler about the stabilizer." Dominic instructed. The woman nodded silently, taking a firm hold on the vibrating red head. The dark skinned woman easily carried Annie into the room.

Dominic quickly walked into a room with a large screen. He pressed the green button on the control panel and the silhouette of a man's head appeared on screen.

"What is it?" Handler asked in a deep tone. Dominic swallowed hoping his bluff would work.

"Quick Step's stabilizer was dropped by accident and the glass tube shattered. We need more or else she will fade." He tried, careful not to sound too anxious. He was good at masking his emotions, but Handler was attuned to them.

"Vulture, I am sure you are aware that I know of your plan to get help from the Justice League. I have studied you three subjects. I know you hacked into the system to open the doors. Due to your disobedience, I am denying your request for the stabilizer." Handler all but growled. Dominic cursed silently. He knew this would be their only chance and now it was gone. They were going to keep being puppets to Cadmus until another opportunity showed itself, which could take a while now that they would be more cautious.

"Our plan failed. The League didn't get a drop the stabilizer. Quick Step used it to save one of the heroes. I know you didn't want us to be known to the heroes, but at least they will be less suspicious of our intentions if they think we are good. If you allow Quick Step to vanish, they will begin to investigate where she went and this might lead them to us. Keeping her alive is a better option. Use this new gained trust." Dominic reasoned. There was a long pause.

"It would be inconvenient to lose the subject and start again. Permission granted for a dose of stabilizer. However, Quick Step isn't the only one we'll be punishing. You and Aquatic will also be put through re-correction. Don't disappoint, Vulture. There will not be a second chance. Handler out." The screen shut off and a small compartment opened up from the wall under the large screen. Dominic picked up the injector gun, looking at it with sad eyes. Their lives had just sunk a little deeper into hell.

-End Chapter-

_A/N: There won't be a bunch of stuff before every chapter like this one. Hope you liked it. If you read my Chimera fic and was disappointed by my abandonment of the story, I am truly sorry. _


	2. Chapter 2

By the way, the bold within the story means they are talking through Miss M's mind-link. Enjoy.

Special thanks to Beast for being awesome and for taking time out of your busy schedule to edit this.

\- Panda

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or DC Comics. I claim only my story and my own characters._

**Chapter 2: The Scavengers**

**_S.T.A.R Labs_**

"His body is still stabilizing and recovering from the strain of the excess energy he was being hit with. However, the substance that girl gave him is ingenious really. It isn't like anything I've seen before. The drug acts like a sort of relaxant, targeting the cells at a molecular level and calming the out of control molecules so they can stabilize once more. Whoever developed this must have extensive knowledge about speedsters." Dr. Emile Hamilton explain.

Wally had been placed in one of the private medical rooms at S.T.A.R. Labs. The red head was hooked up to a few monitors and IVs as he sat in the hospital bed. His head felt like it had been slammed into a truck, then dumped in the river with cement tied to it. The memories were a bit fuzzy between the time he had begun to fade, and now. The only thing he could be sure of was that grey and red blur that had come to his rescue, pulling him away from that beautiful light he had been running toward.

In the room with him were four other people. Kid's Uncle Barry, still in his Flash costume, stood closest to the doctor with his arms crossed over his chest. The older hero was still feeling drained, but wouldn't leave his nephew's side until he was sure the younger hero was alright. The green clad female archer, Artemis, was sitting in a chair close to Wally's bed. Her hand was gripped tightly in the Wally's, as if she thought he would disappear again if she let him go. No way was she going to let that happen. Leaning against the back wall was Nightwing. His forefinger and thumb clasped his chin gently in thought as he tried to piece together their clues as to who that mystery girl was. His mentor, Batman, stood not too far from his apprentice, preferring to stay in the darker part of the room. Though it didn't show outwardly, the Dark Knight was also going through, piecing together the events that had taken place, and trying to find some possible connection.

"Alright, thanks Doc. Do you know when he'll be fit to go back home?" Flash asked dropping his arms to his sides. Hamilton flipped through the papers on his clip board.

"I'd like to keep him for a while to see how he's doing. If all looks good then he can go home in about four days. I'd like him to come back a week after that, though, to run some tests with his powers. That way we can see if this event has had any lasting or harmful effects with his super speed." The doctor replied, flipping the pages back down. With a nod of thanks from the Scarlet Speedster, Hamilton left the room.

"You should really get some rest, Uncle Barry. Even with this killer head ache I can tell you're wiped." Wally spoke up. Flash turned to his nephew with a worried look.

"I'd really like to stay here for a little longer, just in case." He said, a hint of worry in his tone. Batman walked over to his fellow hero, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be fine. You really need to get checked out, Barry, in case you were affected too. Bart's already been checked out, now it's your turn." The Dark Knight said sternly. Flash was about to say something else, but his voice died when he saw the famous 'bat glare' telling him he wasn't getting out of this one.

"Artemis and I will stay here, so don't worry. You can come right back once you're all fueled up." Nightwing said, pushing away from the wall. With one last glance at Wally, Flash reluctantly left. After a few moments, Nightwing turned toward his mentor with a serious look. "What do think of this new speedster?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen anything about a female speedster helping out or causing chaos. First time I've heard of her. Could be a new meta-human." Batman replied, eyes narrowing in thought.

"That's what I thought too, but that suit she was wearing looked professional and expensive. Hard to believe she hasn't been out in the field before. I also noticed that she began to vibrate out of control after pulling Wally back. Her suit pumped some sort of stabilizer to help, though I don't think it was the agent she used to save Wally. She was really spooked and ran off, probably to get the real stuff." Nightwing explained recalling the event.

"So we can assume she had friends with lots of money, resources, and brain power." Artemis cut in, also curious as to who the girl was.

"You said she called herself Quick Step?" Batman asked. Both Nightwing and Artemis nodded. "I'll see what I can pull up. I want to know why she was there and what her intentions were when she saved Kid Flash."

"I don't think her intentions were bad. She seemed to really like the Flash, as well as Wally and Bart. I mean, she sounded almost as hyper as Wally did when he began working with the Flash." Nightwing spoke, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, like she really looked up to the three of you." Artemis looked at Wally this time. He blinked at her and shrugged.

"My memory is a little fuzzy after being pulled from limbo, but I'm pretty sure I've never seen her before. At least not the costume." Wally gave out. He paused, looking a little more serious. "I would like to meet her again, though. She really saved my hide back there. I'd like to thank her properly, maybe even buy her a few burgers, assuming she has the same appetite as a regular speedster." Artemis smiled, glad her boyfriend was here next to her, safe and sound. She'd also like to thank this Quick Step. She didn't know what would have happened if the red haired girl hadn't shown up. Hell, Artemis would buy her a whole burger joint if she so desired.

_\- line break -_

**_Secret Base_**

"Ugh, I could eat a whole burger joint right now!" Annie whined as she plopped onto her lumpy bed. Her room was small, the same size as a regular prison cell. It practically was a prison cell considering how her life was. The bed was small, having only a few thin sheets on it and a limp pillow. On the wall across from the bed was a calendar, every other Monday was marked with a large red X, which meant those were the days for her injections.

"How are you feeling?" Came a familiar voice from the doorway. Annie shifted her head slightly so she could see the speaker, though she already knew who it was. Dominic stood there in his casual attire wearing a simple brown t-shirt with dark jeans. Annie studied his dark blue eyes for a moment.

"Tip top, though I feel like my stomach is trying to eat itself." The girl replied, sitting up. She, too, was in her casual outfit. The suit was neatly put away on, what she liked to call, the maintenance manikin. Annie had changed into her own simple grey t-shirt and black cargo pants. Her mane of red hair, which had been pulled up earlier, now spilled down her back reaching just below her shoulders. Handler always gave them the most simple and bland street clothes he could find. It wasn't as if he really cared for the small team. He only needed to meet their needs and keep a close eye on them.

Dominic smiled one of his handsome lopsided grins, which would have been totally cute if Annie didn't think of him as an older brother. Worry still laced his eyes though. He had every reason to worry. It had been a month since they tried their escape plan and Handler had decided to have Annie go through re-correction for at least three days each week. It was nonstop training and testing, with only a measly few hours rest and a few small sandwiches each evening to keep her going. The girl was sore and drained, even though the bruises and cuts were already mostly healed. Both Dominic and Keal'a had been assigned double the training and tests they usually were put on as well.

"Come on, I'll make you some steak. You can raid the pantry for snacks while you wait." Dominic said, moving toward the small kitchen, which conveniently was just across from Annie's room. Her body protested when she stood, but the call of food outweighed the need for rest.

The home they shared was a small, apartment-like area located somewhere on the outskirts of a town in Lower Michigan. It was underground, near a large factory that was used as a front for Cadmus. The place had three prison cell sized rooms, one for each of them, a small kitchen, a large med bay that was combined with the tech room, the briefing room, and a small lounge that contained a small love seat and TV. It wasn't paradise, but it was the only place the three of them could call home. They had lived here all their lives after all. The walls were all steel, as well as the door leading out, with a lead lining to hide it from Superman. Multiple mechanical locks made sure that they stayed locked in until Cadmus deemed it was time to let their experiments out.

Annie dragged herself into the kitchen, practically drooling at the smell of cooking meat. Keal'a was leaning against the island flipping through a cooking magazine. Those dark blue eyes of hers, that were a shade lighter than Dominic's, skimmed through the various recipes. The atlanean woman was wearing causal clothes as well, which consisted of a dark blue t-shirt and loose jeans. Her hair was always in that side braid, hanging over her right shoulder. Keal'a looked up as Annie entered.

_How are you?_ Keal'a asked using sign language. Her vocal cords hadn't developed properly, so the dark skinned woman couldn't speak. Both Annie and Dominic were taught sign language, so they could easily read Keal'a's signs. Annie grinned back at her friend and sister.

"I'm fine. You guys are such worry warts. I just need some munchies and I'll be good as new." Annie announced, making a b-line for the pantry. Being the youngest could be very irritating since the two older ones tended to baby her. They had to go through extra training too, yet they always made a point to make sure baby Annie was alright. Technically she was the same age as Keal'a and Dominic, but physically Annie was deemed to be the youngest.

She yanked the door open and pulled out the first thing she could grab. With a speedster metabolism, you didn't care what you ate as long as you got something in your stomach. Snatching a large bag of chips, Annie went to town on bag devouring the whole thing in a matter of seconds. Would have been even faster if she wasn't so tired.

"Hate to bring this up right after you got back, but Handler has assigned us a new mission for tomorrow." Dominic said after a few moments of silence. Annie stopped for a moment, heart sinking slightly.

"To be expected. Pile on the work as a punishment for being bad little doggies." Annie chucked darkly. "When's briefing?"

_0600, _Keal'a signed causing Annie to groan. Tonight would be an early night for the red head. Dominic set down a plate with five nicely cooked steaks in front of Annie. After a small pat on her shoulder, their team leader walked off toward the tech room to prepare for tomorrow's mission. Annie poked her food half-heartedly before beginning to consume it. Keal'a looked at Annie with her usual blank expression, before following after Dominic to get ready herself.

_\- line break -_

**Wally, you're sure you're okay?** Artemis asked through Miss Martian's mind link.

**I'm fine, Artemis.** **I've been cooped up at home these past few weeks. The doctors say I'm fine, and I feel fine. Quit worrying so much, **Kid replied. It was true. The doctors had run as many tests as they could think of on him, making sure he was alright. They even made him not use his powers for a week after the tests. It was completely proven that Wally was going to be alright, even after almost getting sucked into the Speed Force.

**Focus guys.** **Our target could hit any time, **Nightwing cut in. The young team leader wouldn't admit it, but he also felt a little reluctant to allow his best friend to join the mission. However, he pushed that away knowing full well that babying the red haired speedster wasn't going to help anyone.

**Who we looking for again?** **I'm a little hazy on the details, **Kid asked. He and Artemis had retired from the life of the hero, but Wally couldn't help coming back in after the mystery speedster saved him. He really wanted to know more about this girl, Quick Step. The only way Wally knew he could do that was by going back into the hero business, at least for the time being.

**That's what you get for joining a mission at the last minute,** Artemis scoffed. She loved the speedster, but sometimes he could be a bit dense. She, too, came back to keep an eye on Wally. After that scare back in the Arctic Circle, Artemis didn't want her boyfriend out of her sights.

**Batman's been looking out for some strange activity since that odd girl saved you.** **They were too little to be concerned about at first, but when Batman looked closer he found a pattern between certain break-ins. If he's right, the next target will most likely be this facility, **Nightwing explained.

**Why this place? What's here that someone would want to break in and steal it? **M'gann asked.

**The facility is run by Professor Ivo. He's been experimenting with different substances for his own personal projects. In particular he's been working with something called X Kryptonite. **NIghtwing explained.

**Kryptonite?** M'gann gasped, thinking of Superboy.

**If this place belongs to Ivo, then it can't be good.** **Who would want to break in and steal that madman's research? **Artemis asked.

**Maybe it's Lex Luthor? Where there's Kryptonite, he always seems to be nearby, **Wally offered.

**Maybe whoever is breaking in is trying to stop him, **Artemis said.

**Or use it.** Nightwing offered grimly. **Not all the other thefts were just at villain's facilities. During the Reach invasion, someone broke into S.T.A.R Labs and stole some tech files. **

**You don't think that Quick Step is part of the thefts?** **I mean, she risked her own life to save me. **Kid Flash reasoned. Part of him was slightly glad that he might meet his savior while the other part wished he wouldn't meet her. Not here, at least.

**And you think that these intruders are dangerous enough that most of the original team has to be here?** Kaldur asked their team leader. He had a point. The only person from the original Young Justice not here was Superboy. The clone had been assigned another mission, investigating possible Intergang activity in Wisconsin, with the help of Beast Boy, Impulse, and Blue Beetle. In the past weeks, Conner had become a leader in the team, often being placed in charge of the mission at hand.

**This person, or people, is trained well enough to avoid Batman's detection for a while.** **He only found out because he was actively looking for it. **Nightwing said, the wariness in his tone was noticeable through the mind link. **Let's just say I'd like to be cautious. **

**Hey guys, I think I'm picking something up. I sense three people entering the area. One at the docks, one just landed on the roof, and the other is moving quickly down the east side of the building. **M'gann spoke up, causing everyone to focus.

**Alright, Kaldur and Miss M will take the docks, Kid and Artemis can take the east side and I'll check out the roof.** Nightwing a few confirmations, the team split up to carry out their instructions.

_**-**__ line break -_

Keal'a arose from the water quietly, the liquid running smoothly off her Atlantean skin. She was wearing her combat suit, the same one she had on the day the three had tried to escape. The dark skinned woman scanned the area before moving toward the loading docks.

It was nice that the large research building was built right next to water. Keal'a didn't do too many missions with a large body of water nearby, and she appreciated it when there was one. Swimming through the water was one of the few things she enjoyed doing. It was due to her Atlantean DNA that she was drawn to water. The mission itself was simple. Each one of the three had their own job to do. Keal'a was tasked with collecting samples of the chemicals stored in the small storage area just behind to the loading bay.

Swiftly and silently, the blonde made her way to large shutters that opened into the loading dock. She quickly hid as she heard two male voices coming closer. In a matter of moments two security guards rounded the corner, each holding a flashlight. Keal'a narrowed her eyes, shifting deeper into the shadows. The guards stopped, both too engrossed in their conversation about some game to notice something was off. With cat-like grace, Keal'a maneuvered around the large shipping container and found herself very close to the two oblivious men. Taking a deep breath, Keal'a slunk in behind them. She used her mechanized, waterproof glove to produce enough electricity to incapacitate them. In an instant the two men crumpled to the ground, both unconscious. Keal'a searched the guards, taking one of their security cards. Suddenly she heard Dominic over the com-link.

"Quick Step, Aquatic. We've got company." Keal'a tapped her ear piece sending a soft beep through the com to show she had received the message.

"Aw, man. It isn't security, is it? I swear I didn't trip any alarms." Came Annie's reply. There was a slight pause. When there came no reply Annie spoke up again. "Vulture, you there?"

Keal'a turned her attention away from the communications when she noticed movement at the other end of the docks. She stood. It was useless to try and hide now, the new comers had already spotted her. Turning toward the loading docks, Keal'a made her way over to the security door and went inside. The dark skinned woman went down the catwalk to the ground floor and moved toward the back door to get to the chemical storage area.

"Stop where you are."

Keal'a froze at the voice. It was very familiar to the woman and she hoped she was wrong. Turning, Keal'a's heart sank as her hunch was proven correct. Standing there was Aqualad, with Miss Martian floating just behind him. These heroes were probably what Vulture meant by 'company'. Keal'a wondered if others had come or if these two were the only ones. She could see his eyes widen slightly when Keal'a came into full view. She was altered enough for him not to be able to fully recognize what she was, so the hero must have been shocked by the fact Keal'a was Atlantean.

Snapping out of his shock, Aqualad got into a fighting stance with his weapons forming water maces. "Who are you and for what purpose have you come here?" He asked. The Martian girl also looked ready for a fight. Obviously Keal'a couldn't speak, but they didn't know that. The mission came first, so Keal'a activated her weapon, causing the nearby water to reshape into a staff.

The female Atlantean rushed toward them as if to strike Aqualad, causing the hero to block. However, that was a feint. Keal'a jumped, boosting herself off Aqualad's crossed weapons, and managed to take Miss Martian off guard. Keal'a hit the Martian girl with her staff, knocking her down. Before either hero could recover, the dark skinned woman grabbed Miss Martian with her gloved hand. Using the gadget, Keal'a shocked Miss Martian until the girl black out. Her tattoos began to glow as she used her Atlantean magic to manipulate the water from her pack to form her water staff. Aqualad was stunned by her quick fighting technique. She was a great warrior. Keal'a narrowed her eyes at the hero.

"Who are you?" Aqualad asked again, this time with a much more serious tone. Keal'a was silent still, getting into a different stance. After a brief pause, the two Atlanteans clashed.

_\- line break -_

Another get in, get out mission. Vulture preferred these types of missions to the messier ones Cadmus had him do. The raven haired young man swooped in low, using mechanical wings to glide toward the roof, and rocket boots to keep him stable. The metallic feathers were painted to complement Vulture's outfit, being a mixture of dark brown and grey. He landed softly, mechanical wings retracting into the arms of his suit.

Vulture swiftly made his way to the breaker box, cracking it open and plugging the small computer on his suit into the buildings system. The screen on his left forearm lit up and he began hacking. It only took a few moments for him to have full access to the facility. The security around the place was pathetic.

Hacking into the security cameras, Vulture fed the receiver a loop so the guards watching the monitors would see the same feed over and over again. However, Vulture could see what the cameras really picked up. He watched thru his brown domino mask as Aquatic made her way up the docks, taking out some guards. On another feed he could see Quick Step making her way up the east side of the building toward one of the back doors. Vulture quickly typed in a code making sure the door would be unbolted and alarm disabled. He then noticed other familiar figures. Two were heading toward Aquatic's location while the other two made their way toward where Quick Step was.

"Quick Step, Aquatic. We've got company." Vulture said, placing two fingers on his ear com. He heard a familiar soft beep symbolizing that Aquatic had received the message.

"Aw, man. Is it security? I swear I didn't trip any alarms." Annie replied with an irritated huff.

"Nice night for stargazing, huh." Vulture spun around just in time to block the surprise kick with his right arm. He quickly retracted the cable back into his suit and stood to face his attacker. How ironic it was Nightwing, himself, who stood there in front of him. Batman's apprentice took an aggressive stance, a small smirk on his face. Vulture smirked back.

"Fancy meeting you here, Nightwing. Finally caught up on our trail." The brown clad male scoffed. Silently Dominic rejoiced that the heroes had picked up on their trail. He had been leaving enough evidence behind on his other missions for someone to pick up a pattern, but not enough for Cadmus to notice. It was his backup plan in case their first plan failed, which it had. But it still wasn't that easy. Handler was watching and listening, meaning the three couldn't outright ask for help. At least this confrontation was a start.

"Yeah, I'm actually impressed how you were able to stay under the radar for this long. Means you've got some skills." The blue and black hero complimented. Vulture reached down and grabbed the tonfas attached to his hips. He raised them up, ready for a fight.

"Aw stop it. You're making me blush." Vulture ran at NIghtwing, swinging his weapons expertly. Nightwing whipped out his own batons, repelling each of Vulture's blows.

"Who are you?" Nightwing asked, flipping out of the way of his attackers kick. Vulture took a few steps back, positioning himself into another fighting stance.

"Name's Vulture, leader of the Scavengers." Dominic announced. He swiftly threw a few throwing knives at Nightwing, each knife handle having the same insignia as the one on Vulture's chest. Nightwing dodged them expertly, throwing his own bird-o-rangs at Vulture. He batted them away with his tonfas before rushing at the young hero again.

"Scavengers? Never heard of them." Nightwing said getting a good hit on Vulture's side. The other male grunted at the impact, delivering a quick knee to Nightwings gut. The two staggered away from each other, panting slightly. Both had barely gotten a hit on the other.

"There's a reason for that, you know. Why do you think it was so tough to find the patterns?" Vulture huffed. He glanced at his forearm, noticing the time. They had ten minutes to go before the mission time was up. Glancing up at Nightwing, who was warily studying his opponent, Vulture clicked his tonfas back to his side. With a flick of his wrists, side arm blades activated on his forearms, and claws sprung from his gloves, like talons on a bird of prey.

"Sorry, bird boy, but I've got to jet. I'm really looking forward to our next meeting. Keep up the good work." Vulture said before falling back off the side of the building. Surprised, Nightwing raced to the edge of the building only to see that a knife from the tip of Vulture's boot had been produced too. Right now the male was hanging off the side of the wall, claws and boot knife dug into the cement. Must have been high grade material. Then he sprang off the wall, expanding his arms. Large mechanical wings sprung out and he jetted off toward the docks.

\- _line break_ -

"Aw, man. Is it security? I swear I didn't trip any alarms." Annie waited to hear back from her leader, but came up with only silence. "Vulture, you there?" When there still wasn't any reply, Annie let out a loud sigh. There was no way he'd be caught by the lame security guards they had here. I mean, Annie had already taken out four of them. The speedster girl made her way to the back door of the facility. Vulture must have unlocked it, because it was open. As she entered, the first thing she noticed was how dark it was. Her goal was the room down the hall and to the right. Tapping a button on the arm of her suit, four small surveillance drones detached from her belt. She typed in a command, then the little machines were off, hovering down the hallways. Annie had a thing for mechanics. She loved to pull apart and build things.

The halls were clear according to her little friends. Annie raced to her destination, hacked into the keypad lock, and was in the room in no time flat. The room was a large, nicely furnished office. Leaving the drones outside as lookouts, Annie set to work. She plugged in a flash drive and started to download the data. Another thing she had a knack for was computers, whether it was hacking into them or programing them. Annie was the infiltration expert of the team. Sure Aquatic and Vulture were very skilled, but the only missions Quick Step was trained for was the get in, get out jobs. Files secure on the drive, Annie recalled her little bots then rushed out of the building using her speed. Once outside, Annie looked toward the exit route.

"Man, I was hoping you weren't going to be here." Annie turned to see one of her idols along with his archer girlfriend. She cringed not only at being caught, but being caught by one of the people she really looked up to.

"You're looking better, Kid Flash." Annie said, the nervousness in her tone was very noticeable. "Glad to see you back on your feet." She took a small step back, glancing toward her escape route. Though the two heroes were indebted to the red haired girl, it didn't mean they would tolerate criminal deeds. Artemis had an arrow in her bow, pulled back ready to fire if need be.

"What are you doing here, Quick Step? I thought that maybe you'd be one of the good guys, especially after you saved my life." Kid Flash pressed. Guilt weighed heavily on Annie's heart. She really hated doing these things that went against what her idols believed, what she believed. But it wasn't that simple. It was either this or death.

"I wish I could tell you, I really do. But, I can't." Annie choked out.

"If you're in trouble, we can help you. The Justice League can help you. Just tell us why you're doing this." Artemis tried this time, knowing full well what it felt like to feel trapped. It was difficult to tell what the red headed girl was thinking due to the mask covering her face.

"It isn't that simple." Annie shook her head sadly. A faint buzz sounded from her com-link. Annie looked at her arm screen, seeing the five minute marker to the mission end time. She looked back up at the two heroes.

"I gotta go. It was really nice seeing you again. Glad you turned out to be alright." Annie gabbed one of the smoke grenades from her belt. Hitting the small button, she tossed it in the open space between her and the two heroes. Smoke was rapidly released from the contraption, filling the whole area with dense smoke. Kid Flash and Artemis coughed, both waving their hands to try and clear the gas away. When it finally cleared up, Quick Step was already gone.

-End Chapter-


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or DC Comics. I only take credit for the story itself and my own characters_

**Chapter 3: Mother Dearest**

**_Team Base_**

The five heroes who had faced off with the Scavengers sat together. Flash, Batman, and Superboy joined them as they discussed their most recent mission. The Dark Knight sat at the computer typing up and compiling the information the team had given him. So far there was Quick Step: a female speedster whose powers seemed unstable, Aquatic: a highly skilled female Atlantean warrior and Vulture: also a highly skilled male combatant who didn't seem to have super powers and was the leader of the mystery team. Both Quick Step and Vulture seemed to hint that there was a higher power behind the scenes, maybe even manipulating them. Batman glared at the screen, as if the answer would appear if he stared at it long enough. Something big was missing and it was preventing him from piecing everything together. Why did these three seem so familiar?

"So, any idea why anyone would want this X Kryptonite stuff?" Wally asked leaning back in his chair. Flash was standing close to his nephew, obviously still worried about the red head. Wally ignored it, knowing full well that his uncle wouldn't let up even if he asked him to. It was just how Barry was. Hopefully it would calm down in the months to come. Wally just had to make sure he didn't do anything reckless or else this overprotectiveness would just get worse. Batman typed something in the computer pulling up some info.

"Professor Ivo was experimenting with kryptonite for reason's we aren't sure of yet. The data the three managed to take wasn't everything. It contained only pieces of information and a small number of experimentation notes." Batman clicked a key and a picture of a dark blue crystal appeared on screen. Another file popped on screen showing a picture of an orange tabby labeled as Subject 003. There were other files that popped up, though a lot of the data was encrypted. "The data is heavily encrypted and will take some time to siphon through everything."

"Do you think this new kryptonite is more dangerous than regular kryptonite?" Connor asked, his forehead knitted with worry.

"I'm not sure as of right now, but I should be able to read through the data by tomorrow." Batman answered. Nightwing's eyebrows rose in surprise. The encryption must have been made by someone very good at their job if it was going to take Batman all night.

"So, whoever the Scavengers are working for, it's safe to assume they want this new kryptonite for something big." Nightwing said to his mentor. The Dark Knight didn't answer, meaning he had come to the same conclusion.

"How are we going to find them? We barely know anything about these three and it was chance that we encountered them this mission." Miss Martian spoke.

"I don't think it was luck that lead to us meeting them." Nightwing said. Everyone looked at him expectantly, so he continued. "While I was fighting Vulture, he said something about a how tough it was to find the pattern, as if he deliberately left tiny clues leading to their next target. He also said he looked forward to our next meeting, as if he is expecting us to find them again."

"It could be that he's a narcissist, like the Riddler. He might just like to show off how smart he is." Artemis reasoned.

"That may be so, but it just doesn't feel like that was what he meant. Something about it just bugs me." Nightwing replied. Batman studied his apprentice, before turning back the monitor.

"Aquatic was a formidable opponent, even for me. She was very well trained as well, though I don't recall ever hearing about a warrior like her in Atlantis. With skills like hers, there would have been some mention of her." Kaldur thought out loud. Something about the female also bugged the dark skinned male. He had under estimated her and shamefully was knocked out after an intense battle.

"All of them seemed really well trained, even Quick Step who didn't even do any fighting. Whoever is behind this has some major resources." Nightwing added. The room was silent for a moment.

"Either way, it looks as though we'll have to wait for something to show up to know more about this mystery team." Flash piped up clasping a hand on Wally's shoulder. "Let's go get something to eat." The Scarlet Speedster glanced back at the computerized image of Quick Step, put together from the team's memory, on the screen before leaving with his nephew.

-_ line break_ -

**_Scavenger Base_**

Three well equipped figures walked down the well-lit halls. Instead of going down to the ground floor as usual, they took the large elevator to the second to last floor. A uniformed guard stood in the elevator with the three agents, eyeing them cautiously.

"Well that could have gone better." Annie sighed, lifting her mask so it sat on the top of her head. She looked drained, emerald green eyes down cast. The heroes now knew that she was working for the opposing team, that she was a villain. She let out another sigh.

"It's fine. We got what we needed." Dominic said eyeing the guard carefully. Knowing what he meant, Annie leaned against the elevator wall. The door opened and the three walked down the small hallway to the area at the end of the hall.

Stepping through the doorway, they came into a large lab. To the right were counters and cabinets that held various tools for chemistry. Beakers and vials lined the shelves, as well as jars filled with various organs and small animals. Next to the counters was a large white board along with a cork board. The white board was filled with various equations and drawn diagrams. The cork board held photos, notes, and hand drawn diagrams as well. Toward the back there were machines, as well as three large tubes big enough to hold one person each. Annie shivered at the sight of the tubes, remembering the first time she had walked out of hers. The left side of the room was less crowed, though it still had medical equipment and charts hung up. A large screen was also installed into the left wall.

They walked deeper into the room, Keal'a and Dominic protectively walking on either side of their smallest companion. Stopping near the middle, the three agents waited. Minutes went by as the trio waited in tense silence, knowing full well they were being watched. They were always being watched. Then they all heard the familiar echoes of high heel clicks. Annie suppressed a shiver, looking to the male on her right. Both Dominic and Keal'a tensed, their facial expressions steeled in an emotionless state. The red head's gaze flew forward as the far door slid open.

In walked a tall, beautiful woman. Her stride was straight and graceful, almost like a lioness stalking her prey. She had blonde hair, a shade darker than Keal'a's, tied up in a loose braid that fell down her back. Her hair was parted on the far left of her head, long bangs twisted elegantly up only to fall down the right side of her face. Her skin was unnaturally smooth looking, as if she had somehow made it flawless though the only skin showing was her face and ears. The woman had two very different eyes; the left being light amber while the right was a robotic eye giving off an unnatural neon blue color. Her right arm was completely mechanical, while her left arm was completely wrapped in bandages. The woman wore a skin tight grey and black turtleneck shirt, black pants, and pure white high heel boots that reached up only above her ankles. Around her waist was a belt that had small straps of leather, allowing her to secure vials on the belt as well as other devices she saw fit to carry. Completing the mad scientist look was a unique looking long white lab coat which had no sleeves, but still covered the shoulders. The woman looked at the three and gave a warm, pearly white smile. This only caused their stomach's to roll with discomfort. She was a demon made to look like an angel.

"How are my lovely experiments doing?" She asked with a silky tone. Though her face was relaxed, masking what the woman thought, her eyes held that knowing gaze she always had. It was as though she always knew something you didn't know. A very unnerving and irritating gaze. Annie shifted uncomfortably under the woman's hawk like stare.

"We retrieved the information you requested, Dr. Jekyll." Dominic said, his tone even. The woman, Dr. Jekyll, eyed the male.

"Excellent." Dr. Jekyll purred, plucking the flash drive from Vulture's grasp as he handed it out to her. She walked over to her computer and plugged it in with a hum. Annie, Keal'a, and Dominic stood stalk still, knowing full well the doctor wasn't done with them. The scientist clicked away at the keyboard, a smile on her pink lips. Minutes of uncomfortable silence passed before the doctor spoke again. "I hear that you ran into some," She pause glancing slyly at Vulture, "company. How did it feel to meet your originals?"

It was true, the three Cadmus agents were experiments, clones of the three young heroes that had been briefly captured by Cadmus a while ago. Dominic was the clone of Nightwing, though at the time he was Robin. He was trained in the many martial arts the hero was observed using as well as some extra fighting techniques. Much like Nightwing, Vulture was very flexible, strong in hand to hand combat, and had a knack for acrobatics.

Keal'a was the clone of Aqualad. Her cloning process, as well as Annie's, had to be done differently due to the fact that the DNA samples had been corrupted. This also led to her vocal cords being underdeveloped and unusable. She had retained Aqualad's Atlantean physiology allowing her to have increased strength, immunity to most toxins, and the ability to breath underwater. With proper training, she was able to learn to use hydrokinesis, and quickly learned Atlantean battle styles using a staff.

Lastly was Annie, the clone of Kid Flash. The most prominent trait she gained from the speedster was her own super speed. Much like any speedster, Annie had a high metabolism and could heal faster than normal. However, unlike Kid Flash, Annie could actually run as fast as Flash due to Dr. Jekyll's tampering. The draw back from her having that much speed in a form that can't handle it was the fact that her molecules were slightly unstable. Thus, Dr. Jekyll created a stabilizing agent, both a blessing and curse for the female speedster. That agent was the only reason the trio hadn't tried to run away, blackmail to keep her experiments on a leash.

"We weren't able to fight much due to the time limit." Dominic spoke evenly.

"True, I'd hoped you'd be given more time, but this data is important. Aquatic was able to defeat her original though. He looked to be underestimating you, dear." Dr. Jekyll said, turning and leaning on the desk. The computer needed time to decrypt the data. "Hopefully you gave them a little present." She added cryptically, a knowing smirk on her face. Annie cringed at the doctor's words. She sounded as though she knew the heroes would show up and that she knew Dominic had been leaving bread crumbs for the League. Annie glanced at the older male, but he still had his emotionless mask on.

"Come, my dears. Let's look you over while the computer does its thing." The woman said pushing off the desk and walking over to the medical bay side of the room. The three reluctantly followed, each striping off their uniforms until the girls were only in sports bras and spandex shorts and Dominic was just in boxers. Dr. Jekyll checked them over, taking blood, checking pulses, asking questions on how they felt, and even took quick measurements of muscle sizes. The checkups didn't happen too often, only occurring once every other month. Dr. Jekyll stalked back over to her computer while the trio got dressed.

"The decryption is taking longer than I thought. Ivo must have upped his encryption." The doctor hummed to herself as she typed away on her computer. "It still shouldn't take more than a few hours."

Just then the far door, the one Dr. Jekyll had come through earlier, opened. A large man, about the size of Solomon Grundy, lumbered in with a young girl perched on his shoulder. The man wore a large suit concealing his large muscles. He had dark green eyes and short dark brown hair. Thick, bushy sideburns ran down either side of his head as well as some stubble on his chin. He had a meaty hand lain lightly on the girl perched on his shoulder's legs as to make sure she didn't fall.

The girl creeped Annie out. She was no older than sixteen, bandages rapped around her legs, arms, torso, neck, and the top part of her head. Brown hair poked out from under the bandages, reaching just below her ears. Her face was half covered, only revealing everything bellow her nose. Her mouth was slightly larger than a normal persons, cut at the edges of her lips and then stitched giving her a creepy ragdoll look. She also wore a loose, black, belly tank-top and black spandex shorts that reached down to her mid-thigh. Around her left ankle was a mechanical anklet much like those under house arrest would wear, though it looked less bulky and more advanced. A tracker maybe?

"Well hello, sweetie." Dr. Jekyll greeted with a smile. She briskly walked over toward the two. "Were you feeling hungry?" The girl made a noise much like a child does when they speak but aren't able to form proper words. The doctor motioned for the large man to set the girl down and he did so, gently lowering the girl on the floor. The bandaged girl didn't try to stand, only using her arms to keep herself propped up. It seemed that she couldn't use her legs. Dr. Jekyll crouched down and placed her robotic hand lovingly on the girl's head. The girl reached up and wrapped her arms around the doctor's neck, refusing to let go. Again the doctor smiled, then remembered the three Scavengers and stood, picking the small girl up also. The girl nuzzled her head in the crook of the doctor's neck and she turned to address the trio.

"I don't think you've met before." Dr. Jekyll started. She wasn't referring to the large man, though. Annie had seen him many times before. His name was Hyde, though Annie had taken to calling him Mr. Hyde due to the fact his wife was Dr. Jekyll. Yes, the two were married. Apparently the psycho doctor not only worked with cloning. She had experimented on her own husband turning him into a large muscle brained super soldier who could no longer has the brain capacity to think for himself. He only really followed orders from the doctor. She had even gone as far as to use herself for a few experiments thus the reason for her odd appearance.

"This is Bethany, though now I take to calling her Siren due to the new abilities I've given her." Dr. Jekyll continued. "She is the daughter of Hyde and I. Isn't she just precious." Annie's blood ran cold and she began to feel nauseous. Who the hell would use their own child as an experiment, let alone turn her into a monster like that? Annie looked over to see even Dominic and Keal'a looked disturbed. The red head swallowed roughly concluding that the doctor was defiantly a psychopath, though she had determined that a while ago.

The blonde scientist studied their reactions, amused by what she saw. Of course they couldn't understand her work. Siren touched her mother's face with an open hand, signaling the child wanted attention. The decryption still needed time to finish anyway.

"Go on back to your rooms. We've finished with your checkup and the data needs time to decrypt. Get some food and rest. Handler will contact you in a few hours for your next assignment. Good day, my dears." The woman said, handing Siren back to Hyde so he could carry her. The trio excused themselves quickly, not wanting to be in the same room as that dysfunctional family longer than need be. With a small smirk, Dr. Jekyll followed after her husband as he lumbered out of the room.

\- _line break_ -

As soon as they entered their living quarters, Annie flopped onto the loveseat with a heavy thump. She was drained, both physically and mentally. Wanting to take her mind off the day's events, the red head flipped on the TV to the news. A story about Flash single handily capturing three of the Rogues as they attempted to steal some priceless jewels was being reported. Annie groaned, rolling over to bury her face in the cushions. Her life was a freaking mess. All she ever wanted since the first time she saw the speedster heroes was run alongside them and help out. It was like part of her needed to help people. Plus, there were things she wanted to ask them about her powers. Sure, Dr. Jekyll had extensive knowledge of the ability, but she wasn't really the type to have a casual conversation with about the subject. Not to mention staying clear from her freaky family. She could just imagine that conversation...

_ "So, , how are your Frankenstein like experiments going on your own flesh and blood?"_

_ "Oh, very smoothly. I was thinking of adding an extra eye to my daughter but I wasn't sure where I would put it." She could practically hear the twisted scientist reply._

Again Annie let out a groan. Anyone foolish enough to get close to Dr. Jekyll ended up an experiment.

Dominic watched his sister wallow in self-pity from the door way. His forehead was knitted with concern for the red head. Out all three of them, Annie was the one who belonged here the least. He'd always watch her beat herself up after missions, but this had to be the worst, especially since she had met one of her idols. The raven haired male sighed, looking at Keal'a who also looked a bit troubled.

_I'll make something to eat. Go cheer her up. _The dark skinned woman signed, walking towards the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, Dominic moved to sit at the edge of the loveseat. He placed a soothing hand on the small of Annie's back and began to rub in light circles. He could feel her relax slightly, though the red-haired speedster didn't turn to face him. They sat there for a few moments, just taking comfort in each other's presence.

"They probably won't want anything to do with me once they find out I'm a freaking clone. A test tube baby grown to be a tool for an evil organization. Hell, the speed force I have in me is probably fake too." She spoke bitterly into the fabric, muffling her voice. Dominic gave her a sympathetic look.

"Hey, they'd love you. You're just as fun, energetic, and kind-hearted as any other speedster. Out of any other heroes, the speedster family would probably be the first ones to accept people, clone or not. Just look at Superboy, the League still took him in. We've got our own personalities and lives, so that means we're people too." Dominic leaned down to add quietly. "We'll escape this hell hole, one way or another."

"Yeah, well, I'm defective. Who knows, maybe I'd do more harm than good if everyone's got to be watching me so I don't frickin' break down." Annie spat angrily, sitting up to glare at her brother. "Not to mention the whole reason why you two are stuck here is because of me. Even now I'm a burden. I wish you'd just leave me." Dominic clasped her head lightly, domino mask off so he could stare directly into her eyes.

"You're not useless, you're not a burden, and you're defiantly not defective. For all we know there could be a permanent solution to your condition." He let go and sat back. "Everyone has a flaw, or two. That's what makes us human." Dominic smirked. "Besides, I think you're the best looking speedster there is. Cute, though you'll have to work on that annoying mouth of yours." He teased, ruffling her mane of red hair.

Annie couldn't hold her scowl, especially against Dominic's smart-ass smirk. She let out a small grin.

"Oh, you know you love it when I talk your ear off." She said playfully punching his arm.

He always knew what to say to cheer her up. The smell of food made the female speedster's stomach growl loudly. Spaghetti, her favorite. Keal'a's cooking was also her favorite. The dark skinned Atlanean loved to cook and was a master of the culinary arts, at least according to Annie.

"Race you to the kitchen." Annie said, getting to her feet quickly. Dominic's smirk grew larger and more mischievous as he picked the smaller girl up and threw her on the loveseat before rushing out of the room. Annie sat up with a pout.

"Cheater!" She called out, taking one last glance at the image of Flash on the television before speeding after her brother.

\- _line break_ -

"Dr. Jekyll. Project KS is moving along smoothly I hope." Came a masked voice. The mad scientist stood the middle of a dark room faced with four pure white, faceless figures. There would be more, but the other members of the council of light had taken their leave, busy with their own problems. They'd be updated later. The blonde woman had a small smile on her lips.

"It's slow work, but with all the information gathered and the resources you all have so graciously provided, it has allowed me to start bringing Project KS together." Dr. Jekyll replied.

"This project is taking too long. If you weren't so distracted with your own personal projects, I feel that Project KS would be would be much further along." The figure to the far left growled. Dr. Jekyll didn't even seem fazed by the Councilmen's threatening tone.

"Yes. We allowed you to keep the failed subjects as a sign of good faith instead of disposing of them. However, they are becoming too much work for what they are worth. Not to mention your more... personal projects." The third figure spoke. Dr. Jekyll eyed the faceless hologram with that same knowing look she always seem to sport.

"I understand your concerns." She began smoothly. "But, I don't need to remind you how my Scavengers have done at least one mission that benefited each of you, and it was both free and discreet. In addition, most of the information and items I needed to get this project moving would not have been gained easily without them." Dr. Jekyll paused, letting her words sink in, before continuing. "Of course you could have hired professionals but the League would have found some information on them. My Scavengers are invisible, not even existing according to official records. Much harder to track back to you, if I might add."

The room fell in silence, the four council members knowing full well the truth in her words. Still, they did not like how the brilliant scientist handled the three subjects. Allowing them to develop their own personalities and have freedom, though limited, was a huge risk. The council members couldn't really order the doctor to put a tighter leash on her pets. In the time the scientist had worked for them, they had come to learn how brilliant the woman was, as well as how dangerous she could be. It was safer to leave her to her own experiments and put pressure on the project she was assigned. What really infuriated them was the fact they needed her, unable to find a suitable and willing scientist to take her place, and Dr. Jekyll knew it.

"Of course, they can still be of use to you." Dr. Jekyll said breaking the silence. "I don't want you to think they are useless. If anyone of you needs some extra hands, I am willing to lend you them." The doctor said, still appealing to the council's good side. The second figure sighed.

"It is best to make use of their abilities for the good of the light." The council member agreed begrudgingly, much to Dr. Jekyll's amusement.

"Of course, Councilmen. All of this is for the benefit of the light." Dr. Jekyll spoke smoothly.

"Keep updating us on the progress of Project KS. We will be in touch." With that closing note, the holograms shut off leaving the doctor in the dimly lit room with a pleasant smirk on her face. Turning on her heels, the woman made her way out of the room and back to her own personal study. It was a large room, compiled with her research. Mr. Hyde was there, sitting patiently off to the side. He was watching absent mindedly as Siren ate her Cheetos. The young girl sat on a rug on the floor next to Dr. Jekyll's desk. The doctor smiled even more when she saw the two. Now where were-

"Atlas? Bruno?" The woman called. Almost instantly two large figures came out from behind her desk. Another smile graced her lips.

Atlas and Bruno were her two large dogs. However, like her other family members, the creatures had also been experimented on as well. Both reaching just barely below the doctor's knees, (while still in her high heels), each beast was vastly unique.

Atlas had been the doctor's more organic test subject, looking a lot like a fabled chimera in the sense it was a bunch of animals rammed together. Possessing a more demonic look, the 'dog' had a thin layer of light brown fur. The front legs had a more deer like quality, including the four toed hoof replacing the paws it had before. The back legs were almost dinosaur like (though still fur covered), ending with large, clawed toes. A long whip-like tail swished out behind the creature as it walked. Around its neck was a metal collar that looked as if it had been graphed into the creatures flesh. The head was what gave Atlas a more demonized look. On either side of the creature's head were webbed ears. On the top of its head were nine small horns and it had four large slits on its muzzle to replace the normal dog nose it once had. Completing the look was the completely black eyes it possessed as well as the jagged teeth it had.

Bruno was much different to compared to his partner. Dr. Jekyll had gone a more cybernetic route with the other dog. The creature's body was mainly mechanical; the only organic things in the beast were its brain and a few organs. You could see the dog's brain slightly through the thick, reinforced glass cover on its forehead. Under the edge of the glass plate, the robotic dog had two long lines of red light on each side for the eyes. It looked less stocky than its partner, built mainly for maneuverability and speed, unlike Atlas' body build which mainly conveyed power. It had three large spikes trailing down its spine, the tip of each spike flat like the tips had been cut off, and had a short tail. The robotic creature also possessed sharp, (metallic), claws and jagged cuts to sides of the mouth giving Bruno sharp teeth as well.

"There you two are." Dr. Jekyll cooed, placing a hand on each beast's head when they had snaked around her legs to sit on either side of her. This was it, her family. The woman looked up when she heard Siren make a noise to get her attention. The bandaged girl was reaching toward the direction she had heard her mother's voice. She smiled sweetly at the girl, walking over to her with the dogs trailing obediently behind.

"I suppose we should start working on those legs of yours. You can't have Daddy just carry you around all the time." Dr. Jekyll spoke, coming up next to her. Siren grabbed the doctor's leg, much like a child. The information the Scavengers had acquired would take time to decrypt, so this was the perfect time to finish up the girl's improvements.

"Hyde, dear. Could you carry Siren into my work room? I need to grab some notes before I begin." The blonde scientist called to the muscle bound man. Mr. Hyde gave a grunt, lumbering over to scoop the teenage girl gently up in his arms, and carrying her out of the room. With a loving smile trailing after the pair, Dr. Jekyll gathered her things and left for her work room.

\- End Chapter -

_AN: Well there you have chapter 3 :) Hope you like. The next chapter seems to be fighting me but I'm trying to fight it down. I'm hoping I can have it done and Beast edit it by next week. Anyway, thanks again for reading and the fact I got like 10 follows/likes and some reviews within the first few hours of posting this makes me super happy XD Thank You SO much for the support! It really helps motivate me X3_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey, I am not dead. I apologize for the super slow updates, but work has picked up for me and I've been too tired to even think... Anyway, I'm posting this chapter not only as an update but also as a reminder that I am not abandoning this fic. I will finish this if its the last thing I do! Thank you so much for your understanding and patience. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I promise you I'm working on it now. Thanks again, and enjoy the chapter._

_\- Panda_

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own Young Justice or any DC comics things. I only take credit for the plot and my own characters. _

**Chapter 4: Puzzle Pieces**

**_One of Ivo's Labs_**

A week had gone by without a single sign of the Scavengers. Batman had decrypted the information, but it still didn't explain what this X Kryptonite was and why Ivo had created it in the first place. To find more pieces to puzzle, the Dark Knight had Nightwing assemble an infiltration team to check out another facility Ivo had mentioned in one of his reports. Nightwing assigned Miss Martian to lead Alpha team to investigate the place. It would be a simple recon mission, little to no combat. The team was Robin, Beast Boy, Impulse, and Supergirl.

Supergirl was a new addition to the team, having arrived on Earth only a few months ago. She was Superman's cousin, from Krypton. Her father had sent her away before the planets destruction, much like Jor-El had sent the baby Kal-El to Earth. Unlike Superman however, she was a teenager when Krypton was destroyed, leaving her quite confused when a man older than herself turned out to be her baby cousin. The navigational device on her pod had been damaged, leaving the poor girl in suspended animation until Green Lantern happened to come upon her. Ever since then, Kara Zor-El had been adjusting well to living on Earth, wanting to help protect her new home. She was a friendly addition to the team, quickly becoming friends with M'gann and Batgirl.

Bart Allen had been happy to give Wally his position as Kid Flash back. It felt odd being Kid Flash when Wally clearly held that title. The young man from the future dawned his old persona as Impulse. Now there was a new speedster, a female named Quick Step. Sure, he was from the future, but that didn't mean he knew everything that was going to happen. Besides, the future could change, so this new speedster was like a breath of fresh air.

The team stealthily landed near the building, each member already in their stealth suits. M'gann went straight to business, giving each member an assignment. Impulse and Beast Boy would patrol the area, keeping out of sight while keeping an eye out for danger. Supergirl and Robin were to infiltrate the building and get any information they could find. M'gann would scout from above, keeping the mind-link intact and ready to give instruction if need be.

**What do you think they have in there? **Bart thought through the mind-link.

**Don't know, but Batman said they were experimenting on organic life forms.** Robin replied.

**I hope it isn't animals.** Beast Boy said. **Then again, humans would be just as bad. **They could practically feel the changeling shiver in disgust.

**What if it's, like, Frankenstein's monster, or even zombies? **Impulse continued. **That would totally not be crash. Rather not plunge the future into a zombie apocalypse. Oh, what if turns out to be the slime monster from-**

**Guys! Focus. **Supergirl cut in, rolling her eyes at where their conversation was leading. She had caught up with some of Earth's culture, so she knew the speedster was talking about movies, even if she hadn't seen them yet.

The mind link went silent after a few apologies and grumbles. Supergirl and Robin quietly made their way through the building, only stopping a few times so Tim could hack security. The sounds of metallic footsteps caused the duo to swing around to look down the hall. It took everything for Robin to not just up and disappear. The two swiftly ducked into the closest room, only hesitating slightly so Tim could make sure there wasn't anything that would trip the alarm. Both young heroes hid deep within the room, waiting and watching the door tensely. The clinking of the footsteps got closer, then farther away when they passed the room. As soon as they couldn't hear the footsteps, both released a breath they didn't realize they were holding.

Figuring this would be as good as any place to start, the duo began to explore the room. Robin moved for the computer as soon as he spotted it. While the Boy Wonder did his hacking magic, Supergirl resorted to studying the room. There were counters with chemical supplies neatly put away in the cupboards. Cages of varying sizes were off in the far right of the room and there was one large desk with a computer, which Tim was sitting at currently. The blonde Kryptonian wandered over to the cages, noticing most of them were empty. Then she notice movement in the corner of her eye. Snapping her attention toward the area, she noticed it was a small cage which was stacked upon a much larger one. Cautiously floating over to it, she narrowed her eyes as if that would help her make out the figure in the dark.

It was orange tabby with big amber eyes. It was a little skinnier than a cat should be, definitely not well fed. What really caught the girl's eye was the light ginger fur on its back that was shaped like a lightning bolt. The cat backed up in the cage when it saw the female. Curious, Supergirl read the paper on the clip board attached to the front of the cage.

_ Subject 003_

_ Species: Felis Catus_

_ Gender: Male_

_ Notes: Subject is in the third stage. Progress is going well. Ready to be terminated and dissected for further study._

Supergirl frowned, sad eyes looking back at the creature. Stealing a glance back at Tim, the Kryptonian swiftly yanked the door open, breaking the lock in the process, and pulled the tabby into a firm and protective hold. The cat didn't struggle much, resting its head in the crook of her arm. She floated over to Robin, softly stroking the cat to calm the poor thing down.

"How's it going?" She asked in a very low whisper. Robin looked up, eyebrow raising at the sight of the tabby in her arms.

"Almost done. Just a few more seconds and we can bolt." He replied in the same hushed whisper. "You do realize that Batman isn't going to like you bring that back with you."

"Aw, don't be so cold hearted. Look at how sweet he is." Supergirl said, still stroking the creature. "They were going to kill him and cut him open. I couldn't just leave him." Robin let out a sigh, shaking his head. A few more seconds and Tim had all the data he could scrape out of the machine. He motioned for Supergirl to leave, following closely behind.

The duo almost ran into another patrol, but managed to hide in time. They swiftly made their way out telling the rest of the team that they got the data via mind-link. All five met at the ship in a matter of minutes.

"Aw, look at how cute he is." Garfield cooed petting the cat. It seemed to sink closer toward Supergirl, apparently already attached to the blonde. M'gann glanced at the duo with soft amusement playing in her eyes.

"Batman isn't going to be happy with you bringing back something other than the data." The Martian said with a small smile on her lips. She was remembering the times Connor had brought back Wolff and Sphere. She, then, began to fly the ship out of the area.

"We got the data too, M'gann." Garfield brushed off, still looking at the tabby. "Besides, think of him like a souvenir. I'm always bringing those home." The changeling went to pet the cat once more.

"Why is it you Kryptonians always seem to get the cool pets?" Impulse joked as he watched the feline snuggle closer to the blonde. "If I didn't know better, I'd say one of your species superpowers is animal whispering.

"You have a point, Bart." Tim said. "Conner has Wolff and Sphere. And I've heard Superman has creatures of his own in the Fortress of Solitude," he added thoughtfully. Supergirl smiled down at the tabby nestled in her arms.

"What are you going to name him?" Beast Boy asked, his monkey-like tail swishing in anticipation. Supergirl studied the feline, eyes drawn instantly to the steak of lighter colored fur that was shaped like a streak of lightning going down his back. She brushed over it lightly with her hand.

"Streaky."

-line break- 

_**Team Base**_

As predicted, Batman was not happy with their new furry friend. The Dark Knight scolded them briefly, stating that a missing subject would be a huge flag for Ivo that his facility had been compromised. Nightwing and Kid Flash watched from a distance, a small smile on each of their faces. They remembered all the times they had been chewed out by the caped crusader. The infiltration team was dismissed, though Supergirl stayed behind with the newly name Streaky. Batman pulled them over to a table, instructing the blonde Kryptonian to set the scared feline on the surface. Supergirl complied, stroking and softly speaking with the cat. The Dark Knight took out a syringe to take a blood sample.

"Batman doesn't really get along with cats." Nightwing commented. Kid raised an eyebrow, turning his full attention toward the scene. The speedster watched as the dark hero drew the blood. After the deed was done, Kid expected him to stalk off to test the sample but was greeted with a surprising scene. The Dark Knight briefly scratched Streaky under the chin before stalking out of the room. Kid gave Nightwing a questioning look. All he got for a reply was Nightwing's usual knowing smirk.

The team had relocated to the outskirts of Coast City, the new base being fairly similar to their old one. Sure it wasn't as large as a mountain, but it worked for their purposes. The current residents of their new base were the young heroes that didn't have a home to go to. This included M'gann, Connor, Kara, Garfield, and Kaldur now that he was no longer under cover. They had gained and lost a few of their members these past months. Lagoon Boy had decided the hero life wasn't for him after the Reach attack and had gone back to Atlantis. The new comers included Virgil Hawkins, also known as Static, and the obvious Supergirl. With the return of Wally and Artemis, the team now consisted of fourteen members and was practically as efficient as the League itself.

Wally and Richard walked into the common area and found M'gann and Connor sitting on the sofa talking. Bart and Garfield were now playing video games, some sort of fighter game, while Jamie was reading a comic book while sitting in the lounge chair. Though slow, it was good to see the Martian girl and the Kryptonian getting along again, even if they were only friends at this point. This past year was rough for everyone and it wasn't promising that the appearance of this new group came right after the Reach invasion. With the world recovering, it would be easy for criminal organizations to take advantage of that weakness. It was best to be vigilant now more than ever.

Artemis came into the room from the kitchen holding a large bowl of popcorn. She looked as though she had just showered after a good workout and was now ready to relax. Wally gave a grin as he walked over to his girlfriend ready to swipe some of her food. At the last moment she pulled away giving him a playful glare.

"This is mine Mr. Stomach-with-legs. If you want some go get your own." She said with a mock-serious face. Wally's eyes drooped into big puppy dog eyes.

"Aw, come on babe, you know the food tastes better when I eat it with you." He schmoozed causing Artemis to raise an eyebrow. She stared at him for a few more seconds before begrudgingly giving in. Dick leaned against the doorway watching the two. He had noticed that ever since the incident at the Artic, the blonde archer had been softer with her boyfriend. Both she and The Flash had been acting more protective of the red haired speedster, as if they were worried they would lose him again. Nightwing would be lying if he said he didn't feel the same, but he held back for the sake of his best friend. Dick could tell their more sensitive handling was bugging Wally, though he hid it well.

Dick stood up when he noticed Wally wave him over. As they settled on the large sofa next to Connor and M'gann, Nightwing was content with standing close enough to be part of the conversation.

"So, any new leads?" Wally asked before stuffing a handful of popcorn in his mouth. He might have matured over these past years, but he still was the same old Wally West.

"Besides the lab, nothing solid. There are rumors about increased criminal activities, especially in the northern states, but it could just be criminals trying to take advantage of the chaos the Reach caused. There isn't anything definitive linking to the Scavengers or the people they work for." Nightwing sighed. He had to admit this group was good, no, really good. Even Batman was having trouble and he was the world's greatest detective. Someone was going to huge lengths to keep their project a secret.

"When I was on my mission in Wisconsin, we managed to stop some smuggling of advanced tech. It might have even been some salvaged Reach technology. Their employer was a total mystery and before we could interrogate the smugglers, they killed themselves." Connor relayed.

"Cyanide pills in a fake tooth. I read the report. Thirteen men died to keep a secret." Nightwing said grimly.

"You think it's connected?" Wally questioned.

"Possibly." Dick breathed. "There's too little information for me to put together. I feel like we're grasping at straws."

"Aw, no fair. You totally spammed that move!" Beast Boy exclaimed breaking their serious conversation. Bart laughed at the changeling's baffled look.

"I don't need to spam to beat you. The moves just look similar. That was pure skill beating your green butt." Bart grinned triumphantly. Garfield stuck out his tongue childishly.

"That's it, another round." The monkey boy said his features getting deathly serious.

"Your funeral." Bart quipped.

M'gann smiled at her adoptive younger brother as Dick shook his head, a small smirk gracing his own features. He turned back to his old friends, remembering how this all got started. Saving Superboy, being captured by Cadmus, he couldn't help but imagine what would have happened if they didn't escape. They would have been cloned and then killed, just like Roy. Nightwing's heart ached at the thought of his other best friend. Suddenly Nightwing's mind clicked, as if a missing piece just popped into his mind. He quickly spun on his heels and made his way back to the main computer down the hall. The other four all looked at each other in question, deciding to follow their leader. Rushing off to confirm a hunch without telling the others was a trait he had inherited from his mentor.

When Nightwing entered the computer room, he found Kaldur sitting their staring at the information they scrapped together about these new characters. It was obviously bothering him more than he let on. The dark skinned Atlantian sat up in surprise when the raven haired male burst in. He looked like he was on a mission and Aqualad graciously moved out of the seat to allow Nightwing to sit. He gave a questioning glance at the other four as they walked in after him.

"I think Birdy's figured something out. He did the whole stalking out of the room without cluing anyone in about what he just figured out thing Batman always does." Wally said with a small smile and a shrug. Understanding what the speedster meant, Kaldur turned his attention back to Batman's protégé as he typed feverishly on the keyboard. In a matter of seconds the image of the three Scavengers popped up on the screen. Dick studied them for a minute before turning toward his companions.

"Who do they remind you of?" He asked cryptically. Everyone looked at him in confusion. He sighed looking back to the screen. "A red haired speedster, a dark skinned atlantian, and a raven haired hand-to-hand combat specialist." Again he was quiet, turning to his team mates. After a moment of staring at the images of the Scavengers, both Kaldur and Wally's eyes widened. Artemis also seem to catch on which left M'gann and Connor confused.

"How is this possible? There is no way they can be-" Kaldur began, only to be cut off by an impatient Superboy.

"What? Who are they?"

"When Wally, Kaldur, and I infiltrated the Cadmus base you were in, we were captured briefly, remember?" Nightwing explained. "They were going to clone us and use the clones to replace real us, just like Roy." That last part came out as a whisper. Wally furrowed his brows.

"But you destroyed the pods. That place was the first to go up in flames. There was no way the samples survived." The red head reasoned.

"They might have had backups or were able retrieve enough to at least duplicate some of us." Nightwing countered. The room went silent.

"So, these Scavengers are like me?" Connor finally broke the silence. He looked upset at the fact there were others that were going through what he had gone through.

"You mean that they are…" M'gann trailed off placing a comforting hand on Superboy's shoulder while looking at Dick with worried eyes.

"Yes, the Scavengers are probably the clones of Kaldur, Wally, and I." Nightwing replied. "And they're more than likely working for Cadmus, or even the Light."

-End Chapter-


End file.
